Self-Bunkering Proximity Sensor For Welding Tasks

Balluff's Bunkerprox is a 'self-bunkering' M18 inductive proximity sensor specially designed to survive longer in abusive welding applications without external protection. In abusive welding environments, bunkering describes the technique of mounting sensors into tough metal brackets for impact protection. However, many sensor applications have not been properly bunkered, resulting in repeated and costly failures from impact damage. Often, it is too difficult and time consuming to retrofit these applications with adequate bunkering protection.

The Bunkerprox design, however, incorporates a strong, thick housing that boosts the ability to withstand repeated mechanical impact. The extra-thick housing also serves as an intermittent heatsink to shield the sensor electronics from the intense heat of red-hot weld slag. A frontal impact deflection ring helps protect the high-temperature ceramic face from impact damage during part loading and unloading. The ceramic face also resists the melting and burn-through that can short out the sensing coil of standard proxes, killing them instantly.

The sensing coil has a reduced diameter compared with standard M18 sensors, providing a perimeter 'crush zone' so that incidental corner impacts do not result in immediate coil damage and the loss of sensor function. A thick connector/barrel junction helps to eliminate connector failures from excessive shock, vibration, heavy contact or undue cable stress. To repel hot weld slag and prevent it from sticking, the Bunkerprox is fully coated with slag-resistant material, while weld-field immune electronics eliminate false signals during the welding cycle.

Offered in a PNP N/O output configuration with a micro connector, the nominal sensing range for the Bunkerprox is specified as 4.0mm. Bunkerprox gives plant maintenance personnel a new tool to combat excessive sensor failure, according to the company. Installing Bunkerprox into impact-prone weld fixtures can help reduce unplanned downtime, cut sensor replacement costs and shave maintenance expenses.

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